


Lead me to a better place

by Flowerpot89



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Child Abuse, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Dixons, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-04-03 17:14:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14000796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flowerpot89/pseuds/Flowerpot89
Summary: Lilly never had an easy life, loosing both parents in her youth, an abusive stepfather and new to the list is a zombie apocalypse. Fortunately she isn't alone in this new world.





	1. Down the drain it goes

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story and I hope it will be worth your time. 
> 
> English is not my native language, so I am sorry if there are some errors. I don't have a beta reader.  
> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Disclaimer:  
> I do not own the characters of the show and/or the comics of the walking dead. I only own my OC.

Some people have an easy life, others have fo suffer. 

Lilly never had an easy life. 

When she was born, her father was long gone, he died shortly after her mother found out that she is pregnant. Her mother raised her as a independent little girl. When she was twelve years old, her mother came home with a man, who later would be her stepfather. He hated her right from the beginning, but her mother always was a buffer between them. When he lost his job, he became addicted to alcohol and drugs. That was the point when her life went to hell. Her mother had to work three jobs and her stepfather would spend the money on alcohol and later on drugs. 

When Lilly was nineteen years old and done with school, she had to work too. She worked in the office in a garage. One day, she came home and her mother was gone. A drunken driver had ran her over and she had no chance. That was the beginning of the end...

They lost their home and had to move to a little town in the woods of Georgia. The house was broken and messy, but it was better than living on the streets. Her stepfather became more and more aggressive and violent. He drowned his problems in more and more alcohol each day. He became a good friend of Merle Dixon pretty soon, a city known redneck and drug dealer.


	2. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting to know Lilly and her stepfather

Lilly had problems finding a job in the small town, as soon as her possible new bosses heard her last name, they weren't interested in her person anymore. 

One day she came home from another unsuccessful interview, her father was shitface drunk again and had an even worst temper.  
"Wherr hav' yu been?" he shouted from his spot on the couch.  
"Searching for a job to afford your drunken ass." She responded bugged.  
Just when these words left her mouth her eyes went wide and she could've facepalmed herself. She knew how he is when he is drunk and his mood seemed to be on a ultimate low point today.  
Her thoughts were interrupted from a sting pain on her cheek. Her stepfather had hit her. She put her hand on the throbbing cheek and tears flood her eyes.  
"Neva talk ta me like that again, yu useless bitch." He shouted in her face, his spit hitting her sensitive flesh. She looked at him with teary eyes, shocked and unable to speak, she ran upstairs into her room. She slamed the door with a loud bang and jumped onto her bed, where she cried into her pillow for the next few hours and only stoped because of her rumbling stomach. 

When she went downstairs, her stepfather was gone. 

_____________________________

He was drunk again when he came back. He stumpled into the kitchen where Lilly was making something to eat. He bumped into her and pushed her against the sink. 

"W-what are you doing?" She asked afraid.  
"Ya need ta 'now where ya place is. I won't allow ya to speak to me like 'hat again."  
She stared at him with wide eyes as he ripped her top apart. She never felt so much fear in her whole life, like she was feeling now. She tried to get away from him, but he catched her arm and pushed her to the ground. He opened his belt within seconds and before she could say or do something he had hit her with it. She cried out in pain but that doesn't stop him. He hit her four more times before he left her crying on the floor. 

When she was sure he had left again, she stumbled onto her feet and ran upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom. Leaning against the door she slid to the ground and pulled her knees up to her chest. The tears were still running down her cheeks. After a few more minutes and some deep breaths she stand up and walked over to the mirror. She took her shirt off and watched her small form in the mirror. Her black curly hair had fallen into her face and she pushed her long bangs behind her ears. Her big blue eyes were red and puffy. On her back were five big red marks where the belt had hit her. 

Her knees felt wobbly and she felt the urge to vomit, but she swallowed it back. Her stepfather always had been cruel to her, but he never had hit her before. Sighing she made her way back to her bedroom.


	3. Payday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first meeting with the Dixons.

A few days and more beatings later she heard someone knocking at the door. Her father wasn't at home, so she opened it. 

In front of the door stood Merle Dixon, leaning on the frame like he owns this place and behind him stood his brother. Daryl Dixon, she only knew him from stories her stepfather told her when he was drunk. Their appearence made her back up slightly.

"Wher's ya dad?" Merle asked with furrowed brows.   
"I don't know, probably drunk somewhere. " she answered ashamed and with her head down.   
"Well, today is payday sweetcheeks and yer dad owes me a lot... can ya pay for 'im?" She raised her head up and looked at him, uncertain what to say.  
"Mhm..well, I have no money here..." She looked from him into her house and then back to him again.  
"Well sugar, I need the payment" he answered with a smirk.  
"I would give it to you... if i had it.. but there is noone who would give me a job, because of my dads behavior. " she said sadly.   
"You could pay in another way, you know sweercheeks?" He asked her with a wink and licked his bottom Lip.   
"Oh, no... no no no... no." She said with her hands raised in front of her and taking a step back again.  
"Merle! Stop beein' n asshole like always." Daryl said "i'll ask my boss tomorrow, if you could work for him, ya dad told Merle you worked in a garage before?" He said looking at you.   
"Yes and thank you..." she said quiet and a small, uncertain smile appeared on her Lips.   
"Yeah." A big smile appears on his face. "Yeah, lil' Brother, your right. She needs a job for future payments. Let's go home, for now. See ya soon Sweetheart." He winked at her and left.

\-------

A few weeks later after Lillys shift, her stepfather was waiting for her, drunk again. Since Daryl and Merle had knocked at her door, she was working in the car Shop with Daryl. They both became some sort of Friends. Both liked to work in silence but they also had some good conversations in their breaks and they ate dinner together most of the evenings. Also the clients liked her appearence a lot, which brought a nice amount of new ones. One day she told Daryl how much she wants to get away from he stepfather. She told him that she always has her bag packed inside of her closet, just in case she had the chance to leave him.   
When she came home her father was moody like always.

"Yur late " he slurred.   
"I had dinner with Daryl." You responded short.   
"Yur fuckin' that son ofa bitch?" He nearly screamed.   
"No.. we are just friends." "Hmm, friends.. you lil' whore gonna fuck the whole town?" "Dad.. stop.. please." She said with a shaking voice.   
"I"ll stop when I want to." He shouted and stumbled towards her. He pushed her back into the wall, grabed her shirt and pushed it above her head. She stood there crying and fearful. She couldn't believe what he just did, but he wasn't done yet. He threw her to the ground and opened his belt.   
"No.. please, d-dad." She stumbled, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Soon he landed his first hit on her back. "Dad please." She screamed. "Stop callin' me 'hat. Never was 'n never will be." After a few more hits mostly in her lower back, she sobed a quiet, last "please" before she fell silent and darkness received her.


	4. The talk

She woke up in the middle of the night, still in the floor. When she started to get up, she felt a sharp pain on her upper arm. She touched it carefully and hissed in pain when she felt the lesion. After a few minutes she stood up and walked slowly to her room, she couldn't hear her Father. Maybe he went to the bar, she thought. She went into her room and to her bed. She sat down and put her head into her hands, tears streamed down her face. A while later she carefully lowered her body into the matress, laying on the back was impossible, so she slept on her stomach the whole night.  
Getting up in the morning was pretty hard, her whole Body ached. But she needed to go to work. 

She was quiet the whole day and Daryl was wondering about her behavior. Normally she would smile at least. Just before closing time he walked up to her and stood in front of her. 

"Hey sunshine, what's on ya mind? " he asked with a worried face. "N-nothing" she said stottering. "Nah, come on, i know there is somethin'." He answered while he took a step towards her and grasped her arm. She let out a faint sob and sweeped her arm away.   
"Don't.." she said softly with tears starting to form in her eyes.   
Daryl stared at her with big eyes. "Who?" He asked serious, but she only shoke her head. She grabed her bag and her jacket and ran out of the shop. Daryl stood there, staring after her. 

\--------

On the next day she wasn't at work, she had called her boss and told him that she was sick. Daryl knew it was a lie. The day felt longer than normal and after his shift he went to her house in a rush. He knocked on the door and waited a few minutes before he knocked again.   
Just when he wanted to leave the door opened a bit.   
"What do you want?" She asked nervous.   
"What's wrong with you Lil?" He asked concerned.   
"Nothing." She answered and was about to close the door, when Daryl pushed his feet between to stop her.   
"Bullshit. Talk to me Lil, i know ya acting strange." She sighed and opened the door to let hin in.   
"I don't know when he will be back..." she said walking in front of him to the Couch.  
She sat down and burried her face in her hands. Her dark wavy hair fell around her face and her shoulders started to tremble. "Look at me Lilly." He said with a soft voice. She looked up with tears in her eyes. He kneeled down next to her and took her chin in his hand to look at her face. She had a dark black eye and her bottom lip was cracked. "What happened?" He asked her with a trembling voice, the anger was noticeable.   
She looked him in the eyes as a silent tear roll down her cheek. Daryl wiped it away with his thumb, his touch was gently, but she shrugged away from him.  
"Your Dad?" She nodded.   
"You need to go now, he will be back soon." She said with an afraid voice.   
"I can't leave you here." "It was my fault, please.. leave." Her voice now desperately.   
"i'll be back tomorrow. If he touches you again, you let me know, okay?" She nodded slightly, looking on the ground.


	5. The fight

The next day Merle visited his brother at work.   
"You know that this son of a bitch is beating her?" Daryl asked Merle with a furious voice. "Anderson? I always thought he is a merrily drunk." He answered boredly.   
"You should come with me, when I visit 'er later."  
"Why? Is there somethin' you wanna tell ol'Merle?" Merle asked with a smirk on his face.  
"Nah, just can't stand him beating her and I want you to be responsibly once in your life. He is a friend of you."   
"Mhmm." Was all he said, before he left the garage. 

A few ours later both of them drove to Lillys house in Daryls old Jeep. When they got out of the car, the screaming from inside of the house was not to be missed.  
Daryl walked to the door with fast steps and he pushed the door open without knocking. What he saw made his blood boil. Michael held Lilly against a wall with his hand around her throat. Merle acted fast and shoved him away, grabbing him by his collar.   
"Get away from 'er" he said while chlenching his teeth.   
" Whatya want, ya payment? Get the fuck outta here and let me handle ma family like i want" Michael shouted. "Oh, ya 'now what, yu can take ma lil' whore of a daughter as your payment, do whatya want with'er. " he slurred. While Merle argued with Michael, Lilly sliped to the ground, wrestling for air. Daryl rushed over to her and lifted her up bridalstyle and carried her to his car.   
"I'll get ya stuff, wait in the car" Then he went back inside and upstairs to get her things from her closet, he remembered her talking about it.  
When he went back downstairs Merle and Michael were still screaming at each other. Daryl walked over to Michael.  
"You will never touch her again." He said, shoving his finger into Michaels face before leaving him behind. He walked back to his car, Merle followed him shortly after. Lilly was laying on the back seat, curled up like a ball, still crying silently.  
They drove to the Dixons home in silence. When the car stopped Merle jumped out an ran to his bike and drove off.   
"Come on, ya need ta move" Daryl told Lilly.  
She got out off the car and walked up to stand besides Daryl, she leant forward and gave him a careful hugg, he tensed up immediately.   
"I-I am sorry.. I just wanted to thank you.. I am sorry" she whispered while letting her arms fall to her sides.   
"'S okay, come on inside."


	6. A new beginning

A few month have passed since Daryl and Merle took Lilly with them.   
They let her move into their home.

In the first week Daryl told their boss what was going on and he gave her the whole week off.   
Merle was not happy about their new flatmate, but as soon as he found out that Lilly could cook pretty good and that she was good in keeping the house and their clothes clean, he accepted her and he also stopped with his usual mockings. 

She slept on the Couch or in Merles bed, when he was gone to do his illegal activities. He never sold drugs to Lillys father again.   
Sometimes she went on hunting trips with Daryl and he even showed her how to shoot a gun and how to track rabbits and other animals. She soon became a pretty good hunter. He also showed her how to protect herself and how to attack someone, just in case she would meet her father again. She never did though. They also enjoyed each others company, the few talkings and the pleasent silence. Everytime they found a prey, they could rely on each other, sometimes it looked like they were dancing on silent feet around it and they never failed. One day he let her use his Crossbow, he showed her how to aim with it and then they followed the tracks from a rabbit. When she saw it, she looked to Daryl, a small smile on her face, before she looked back at the raabit and let go of the bolt. The rabbit was dead before it even knew they were there. She jumped and turned to Daryl with a bright smile and nearly performed a silent happy dance. She was proud and nearly had hugged Daryl, but she knew how tense he always was, when she touched him. She wanted to hug him, show him how thankful she was for everything, but she only gave him a fullhearted smile and turned away to get the rabbit.

But as safe as Lilly felt in the Dixons home, her father still haunted her in her dreams. She often woke up from a nightmare, sweat-stained and with burning eyes from crying. Sometimes Daryl was there, waking her when she was begging her father for mercy in her dreams. Even Merle came to her rescue once or twice. There were also days, when Lilly felt like she had no strength to keep on going, she often thought about her mother and what happened to herself in the time after her dead. But she knew that she won't be alone no more, Daryl would always stay by her side, to protect her and to keep her going. Most times he wouldn't say a word to her, but his whole body language showed her how much she was worth to him. There was no need to talk about it. One day, when she had told him that 'noone wants a broken woman' he even showed her his back and let her touch his own scars. He flinched at the unknown touch but soon relaxed. He had never let someone see his scars till that day, not even Merle. He had no idea why he was doing so much for this little woman, but he felt it was the right thing to do.

The weeks went by and everything seemed good, when shit hit the fan.


	7. Campside

Merle came home, yelling that both should pack their things and all weapons. They packed everything they thought they would need and all the food and water that was left Inside the house. Soon they found out, that the dead were walking everywhere. They scavenged a lot of food and water in the nearby stores and also some weapons and a third sleeping bag for Lilly. She would sleep in a tent with Daryl like they always did on hunting trips.

One day, they were driving up a hill, Merle on his motorbike and Daryl and Lilly in the Jeep. When they reached the top of it, they were greeted with guns pointed towards them.   
"Stay put." Daryl muttered to her before he opened the door and hopped out of the car. 

She watched with big eyes as Daryl and Merle walked towards the men with their hands before them. Slowly the guns were lowered and both talked to a man with black curly hair for a while, before Daryl walked back over and opened up her door.

"We'll be staying 'ere for the night. Think they jus' wanna know you ain' being held agains' yer will," Daryl said in a low voice while pointing at the group behind the curly haired man, and Lilly nodded.

She jumped out of the car and Daryl closed the door behind her. She walked slowly over to the man, still talking to Merle, her eyes trailed over the faces staring at her and her family. The thought about describing Daryl and Merle as family was strange at first but they were the ones that showed her what live could be like, when you have someone you can trust and rely on. Even when they were silent and grumpy for the most part and Merle always would say something inappropriate, while she was funny and most times with a smile on her face. They were the closest thing to a normal life and that's why she called them family. 

"I am Shane. Shane Walsh, nice to meet you .." he told her while he stuck out his hand.

"Oh, I.. I am Lilly.. nice to meet you, too." she answered quietly and shook his big hand with her own small one. He eyed her from head to toe and back, she was still very pretty, despite the fact that they were in the middle of an apocalypse. Her curly hair was longer now and altough it was in a high ponytail, the ends still went way over her shoulder blades. Her blue eyes were bright and her full lips had a rosey colour. She had gained more muscles in the last few weeks and her body was now more shaped but still curvey at the right parts. 

After the introduction to the rest of the camp, the Dixon brothers set up two tents. One for Merle and one for Daryl and Lilly. The brothers made an arrangement which involved her. She would sleep in Daryls tent when he was at the camp and she could sleep in Merles when Daryl was out there hunting, so she would never sleep alone if she get another nightmare. Lilly was a bit unsure about sleeping in the same tent with Merle, but he always acted like she was a little sister, so she swallowed her thoughts and said yes to the arrangement.


	8. Loosing a friend

She soon became a good friend to most of the camps residents, especially to Glen and Amy. She always would make jokes around them and all three had a lot of fun together. Carl and Sophia liked her a lot, they weren't treated like kids when they were around Lilly. She always lent a helping hand to everybody in camp except for Shane and Ed. She was afraid of Ed, who she suspected to beat his wife, Carol, and she wasn't a fan of Shanes behaviour either. He always acted like he knows everything, and everybody with another opinion was silenced pretty soon with his intimidate manner.

One day Glen was convinced that he should allow a bigger group to come with him to Atlanta. Merle was one of the Volunteers. Daryl asked Lilly to accompany the group, just in case Merle would start another argument or fight with one of the others who wanted to go, while he would go hunting. She said yes and a bit later she sat in the back of the van. Merle argued with T-Dog about some racist shit and Lilly glared at Merle, but she stayed silent. A while later they were in a big warehouse where they went to gather some supplies, when they heard shots from outside of the building. They ran upstairs and watched the streets from he roof, there were hundreds of walkers around a man on a horse, a fucking horse. 

Glenn was the one to guide the Sheriff up to the building, where the group was waiting for them. Soon after that and another argument later, Merle was cuffed to a pipe and Lilly was unconscious in T-Dogs arms. It was an accident, that's for sure but Merle was the one that had shoved Lilly out of the way and when she stumbled to the ground, she hit her head.


End file.
